duke

1 of 2

noun

ˈdük 

also ˈdyük

1

: a sovereign male ruler of a continental European duchy

2

: a nobleman of the highest hereditary rank

especially : a member of the highest grade of the British peerage

3

[probably from dukes of York, rhyming slang for fork (hand, fist)] slang : fist, hand

—usually used in plural

dukedom

ˈdük-dəm 

also ˈdyük-

noun

duke

2 of 2

verb

duked; duking

intransitive verb

: fight

see also:

duke it out

Examples of duke in a Sentence

Noun

Put up your dukes and fight, you coward!

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The duke traditionally accompanies the monarch in the lead carriage of the Royal Procession, a custom that dates back to 1825, when the first Duke of Wellington rode alongside King George IV. —Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026

After his death, the property was passed down to various dukes and duchesses—until World War II, when the building took on quite another purpose. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 11 June 2026

Verb

For the next month, some of the best soccer players and teams the world has to offer will duke it out on North American soil for the right to hoist the World Cup. —Austin Perry, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026

Former state lawmaker and Atlanta City Council member Keisha Sean Waites and insurance agent DeAndre Mathis are duking it out in a runoff triggered when neither received more than 50% of the vote in last month’s primary. —Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French duc, from Latin duc-, dux, from ducere to lead — more at tow entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1935, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing duke

• duke it out
• grand duke

Rhymes for duke

• fluke
• juke
• kook
• luc
• luke
• nuke
• puke
• souk
• spook
• archduke
• rebuke
• caoutchouc

Kids Definition

duke

noun

ˈd(y)ük

1

: a soveriegn ruler of a duchy

2

: a nobleman of the highest rank especially of the British nobility

3

slang : fist sense 1

—usually used in plural

Biographical Definition

Duke

biographical name

ˈdük 

ˈdyük

Benjamin Newton 1855–1929 and his brother James Buchanan 1856–1925 American tobacco industrialists